We’re a huge fan of Tom Vanderbilt’s How We Drive blog. While he doesn’t always talk about cycling, he almost always talks about issues affecting cycling (and pedestrians!)
For instance, we recently noted how many drivers blame all cyclists as a collective group, but not all drivers. Vanderbilt says this is a psychological phenomenon called the Fundamental Attribution Error. So it’s not just us…
Model D is provides a significant amount of Detroit biking coverage. Perhaps due to May being bike month, they’ve got even more stories, including this one on Midtown’s Green Alley.
The alley will consist of native plantings and a 6-foot-wide pedestrian and bike pathway constructed of reclaimed historic brick framed by permeable pavement — which ensures emergency vehicle access. It is lit by induction lights, which are more efficient than LED and last for 25 years. “I hope one day to be have to climb up there and change a bulb!” says Tom.
The alley will provide a connection to the Motor City Brewing Works and include bike racks.
Detroit Critical Mass
Here’s a little video of the April 2010 Critical Mass ride in Detroit. Isn’t it ironic that the Motor City’s ride deals with fewer cars than perhaps all other citys’? (via Model D)
The U.S. Social Forum (USSF) is coming to Detroit this June. Biking is a big part of this event. People from around the U.S. are biking to Motown through the BikeIt project. Registration for their Tent Bike City is now open.
When: May 15th from 3:30pm-7pm
Where: Back Alley Bikes space (entrance in alley behind of The Hub of Detroit)
What: The goal of the evening is to use wood and recycled bicycle parts to make simple bicycle cargo trailers. The trailers built will be used to pick up waste during the forum and will be a part of environmental management efforts reduce the ecological footprint of the USSF and beyond!
Yes, Fort Street in Southwest Detroit is being reconstucted. Yes, the Detroit Non-Motorized Plan calls for bike lanes on this road. Yes, the road is six-lanes but the vehicular traffic levels only require two. Yes, this road would likely be part of the U.S. Bicycle Route 25 through Detroit.
No, MDOT did not include bike lanes in the project.
Why? No reasonable answers have been given so far. MTGA and others are continuing to discuss this with MDOT. There’s no reason why this shouldn’t be a four-lane road with buffered bike lanes.
According to this newsreel, “Residents of Bloomfield Hills have taken up bicycle riding as a means of recreation.”
Mrs. Warren S. Booth is highlighted. Her husband eventually became the president, publisher and chairman of the board of the Detroit News — the newspaper his grandfather James Scripps founded in 1873. So, this newsreel was more of a family movie than news.
Still, those are some sweet bikes, riding clothes, and hats — a nice tweed ride.
The Henry Ford has been uploading archived footage from their collection to YouTube. Their most recent upload was from the 1940 New York World’s Fair. It shows their “Road of Tomorrow” which looks more like an elevated expressway, though the cars are going quite slowly. Ford was certainly pitching the idea of more car-only roads.
This is the same World’s Fair where GM unveiled Futurama, a more elaborate model for highways in America.
GM also documented their exhibit through this gem from Jam Handy:
Here’s an exciting Journey to Detroit video that explores the types of transportation choices we could have in this area.
Sometime in the not too distant future, John wakes up in suburban Chicago on a Saturday morning and heads to a White Sox game…in Detroit. Join him on a 300 mile journey to Detroit’s Comerica Park as he experiences the transportation options of the future: a neighborhood electric car share program, smart phone ticketing, high-speed rail, and connecting light rail. This clip is brought to you by America 2050 as part of its “A Better Tomorrow” project to visualize America’s future communities and transportation systems.
Notice that bike sharing systems at transit stops and hubs are among the transportation choices. There have been some preliminary discussion of bringing a bike sharing system to Detroit much like other big cities are currently doing. In speaking with NYC DOT Commissioner, she said she believes bike sharing systems will transform America’s large cities.
But what can make bike sharing systems work well is a connection to public transportation. For example, bike sharing could greatly improve the usability of the proposed M1 Rail on Woodward. Bike sharing could connect the M1 Rail to places like Corktown and Eastern Market.
Minneapolis, Minnesota recently studied public bike sharing an developed a non-profit business plan. It seems this plan could possibly be applied to Detroit.
Minneapolis will launch their “Nice Ride” bike sharing program this summer. They recently chose a vendor and will have 1,000 bikes in 80 kiosks — 65 of those kiosks by this June. It’ll be interesting to see how well their system works and how it could be replicated in Detroit.
